Batman
Link: http://www.pjfarmer.com/secret/marvelous/batman.htm The subject of this section does not have any "super" powers yet in many ways he is the most super hero of them all. Batman is perhaps the most extraordinary of the subjects in this survey in that he has fought and successfully defeated super powered villains and monsters without any special powers of his own. History Early Life: 1912-1925 Bruce was born on February 19, 1912, as the son of Dr. Thomas Wayne and his wife Martha as the sole heir to the Wayne Fortune. Both his parents belonged to wealthy families. The Waynes had lived in Gotham since the 1860s while Martha Kane belonged to the same family the wealthy newspaper mogul Charles Foster Kane and later two American Presidents. However, unknown to Bruce at the time, he also had heroic lineage in his family, from his grandfather having fought crime including Jack the Ripper and Robur the Conqueror, to his mother's connection to the Puritan warrior Solomon Kane. It may have even gone deeper as Martha Wayne was in a relationship with Kent Allard before breaking it off and falling instead for Thomas Wayne shortly before becoming pregnant. By all accounts, Bruce had a blessed childhood where his natural intelligence and athleticism were praised by his parents, though his mother also insisted he use his skills to better the world. Bruce developed a close relationship with the butler of the Wayne Estate, Alfred Pennyworth. When Bruce entered kindergarten in 1917, he met and befriended Harvey Dent. Through Dent, Bruce met Julie Madison, a witty and artistic girl who quickly became the apple of Bruce’s eye. Though many of the girls at his school developed crushes on him, he developed one on Julie. The Wayne expected to give Bruce a sibling when Bruce was five, but just weeks before the child's due date, Thomas and Martha went on a social event at the Empire Hotel and left Bruce in the care of Alfred. Because of her intent to found a school for the underprivileged in Gotham, Martha was targeted by the manipulative Court of Owls. After eating something that did not agree with her at the banquet, Thomas urged Martha to go to the hospital. to ensure the child was fine. As they exited the hotel, a drunk driver struck the Waynes shortly after they entered their vehicle. Thomas Wayne, Jr. was delivered early but did not survive the night. While on vacation to forget about these events, the Wayne Family butler, Jarvis Pennyworth was killed by one of the Court of Owls' "Talon" Assassins. A letter he'd written to his son Alfred, warning him away from the beleaguered Wayne family, was never delivered. As such, Alfred - who had been an actor at the Globe Theatre at the time and a military medic before that, travelled to Gotham City to take up his father's place, serving the Waynes as butler. To cope with the loss of Thomas, Jr. the Waynes dedicated themselves to spending more time with Bruce. As he grew older, his family's reputation made Bruce restless, and he began sneaking out of school to visit Gotham City, where he wouldn't be so easily recognized. On one such outing he was picked up by Officer Jim Gordon and his partner on their patrol. En route back to the station, Bruce witnessed Jim accepting a trenchcoat as a bribe from a tailor - though neither realized it was a bribe at the time - but Bruce would remember it as an indicator of Jim's character. Among Bruce’s interests were a love for cinema and costumed heroes''. Thomas and Martha would take him to the Monarch Theater every Thursday night. One such night on November 27th 1920, while Thomas Wayne was campaigning for Mayor of Gotham, the Waynes left a showing of the film ''the Mark of Zorro. ''Thomas, Martha and eight year old Bruce were walking back to their car after an evening showing. As they took a shortcut through an alleyway in Park Row(said Alley Way gaining the nickname Crime Alley after what was about to happen), the family was held at gunpoint by a petty criminal, believed to be Joseph Chilton (aka: ‘Joe Chill’). When the clasp of Martha’s pearl necklace got stuck and Thomas abruptly moved to help his wife, the mugger got spooked and shot Thomas. When a scream followed, Joe fired a second shot, killing Martha instantly. Horrified but what he had done, Chill then fled, leaving the orphaned Bruce spattered in blood and standing among the scattered pearls. After the heinous act, Bruce was raised by Alfred. Bruce became obsessed with the search for meaning in their loss. He thought perhaps the mythical Court of Owls was responsible, but he never found anything to prove it. He once brutally murdered a nest of baby owls he found in the attic with a rock in a fit of rage. In his youth, Bruce attended Gotham Academy. At school, Bruce became isolated, only talking to Julie. Bruce began to learn self-defense alongside Julie, and was also taught several moves by Alfred and began to learn some things about forensics and medicine from Julie. Consumed by justice, Bruce found little comfort when his supposed parent’s killer was apprehended by Detective Jim Gordon in 1923. Bruce’s eyes had been opened to the level of crime in Gotham and was determined to do something about. He already been training his mind, body and various skills with several tutors, but Bruce would need to leave Gotham to do it. Bruce dated Julie Madison, but his psychological issues with his parents death ultimately led to the end of their relationship. One day, he was asked by a professor to answer a problem involving a projectile being fired at a target. This triggered Bruce to answer the question by burning the answer in fire on the professors front yard. Bruce was later expelled from Gotham Academy. Bruce said goodbye to Alfred and visited his parents grave one last time. Bruce left Gotham in 1925 to study abroad. '''The Training: 1925-1931' After graduating high school early, Bruce began a global sojourn. His also act in the states was to learn Boxing from Ted "Wildcat" Grant. He began taking classes at Cambridge, the Sorbonne and other European Universities where he expanded his knowledge in criminology and forensics. During this time, Bruce also moonlighted with less established mentors who would school Bruce in taverns, back-alleys and empty warehouses. However, Bruce never stayed long and often dropped out. Eventually, Bruce started learning his detective skills from a retired Sherlock Holmes, and many other skills form the likes of Doc Savage. Bruce later traveled to France in 1927 to study forensics under Willie Doggett, where he met Giovanni Zatara, a sorcerer moonlighting as a magician. Bruce stayed with Zatara and his daughter Zatanna, who developed a crush on the man. Zatara helped Bruce learn to escape several traps and other tricks and illusions, such as using smoke to disappear. Zatanna gathered up the courage to ask Bruce on a date and the two had a brief romantic encounter on top of the Eiffel Tower. The two had to part ways the next day, forcing their romance to remain brief. Bruce confined to travel, even traveling to Shangri-La and possibly training alongside Victor Von Doom. Then he began training with Shihan Matsuda in the Himalayan Mountains. From Shihan Matsuda, Bruce wanted to learn to further his martial art skills but also to control his body with complete mastery and precision. Shihan would eventually send Bruce to Master Kirigi in Hun Chiu. Bruce would excel under Kirigi, would who eventually pass his name along to a man named Henri Ducard. In the Summer of 1929, Bruce stumbled upon his childhood love, Julie Madison in Vlatava during Julie’s art apprenticeship. The two reignited their romance and once again shared an intimate first before Julie returned to the United States. Bruce was away for the entirety of the Great Depression and was already living as a Homeless Man, and so was unaffected while his Uncle Phillip Wayne struggled to hold the company together. Bruce continued to train under other various mentors in South America and the Australian outback. In 1931, While first trying out fighting crime on his own, using only a mask and his marital arts, Bruce realized criminals did not fear him. Bruce moved to Washington D.C., to prepare for his admittance to the FBI Academy at Quantico where he lasted exactly four weeks before he realized the Justice he sought would not be gained through official channels. Bruce once again departed the U.S. after meeting a man named Henri Ducard. Khuffash: 1931-1935 After leaving the U.S. with Henri Ducard in September of 1931, Ducard offered Bruce a position within his secret organization, known as the League of Assassins. He offered Bruce a chance at the Justice he sought, convincing him to join the League. It didn't take Bruce long to deduce that ‘Henri Ducard’ was merely an operational alias used by the immortal ‘mastermind’ of the League, Ra’s al Ghul. Bruce was recruited into the League in December of 1931. Bruce began training alongside Oliver Queen, eventually rising above the rest of the recruits at the time. While Bruce could never beat Oliver’s natural affinity for archery, hunting and fencing, he was clearly the best of the recruits. The two eventually became close friends and often went on missions together. While Oliver mostly trained under Malcolm Merlyn, Bruce began tutoring under Ra’s himself. In November, Bruce was officially inducted into the League as Khuffash (Translation: The Bat). In a short time, Bruce became an elite member of the Inner Circle. On March 18th, 1933, An arsonist fugitive John Malone was arrested after three years on the lam after an anonymous phone call tips the GCPD to his whereabouts. Malone was promptly sent back to Blackgate Prison. On the anniversary of the Wayne Murder, Joseph Chilton was found dead in his cell at Blackgate Prison, having seemingly hanged himself based off the testimony of an eyewitness, the inmate in the cell across from Chilton's, Inmate Malone. John Malone's sentence was vacated after the results from his appeals for retesting of his DNA and fingerprints came back proving him innocent of his original charges. After being immediately released, John Malone promptly left Gotham. Ra’s eventually named Bruce his successor. Bruce would be forced to prove his loyalty by assassinating a man in a cage. Bruce refused and fought back, setting the temple he was in on fire, yet choosing to save the life of Ra's Al Ghul. Bruce fled the League and returned to Gotham four days later. 1937: Year One Upon his return to Gotham in March 1935, Bruce quickly made himself available to the media, making it well known that he had returned to Gotham City and make it harder for the vengeful League to assassinate him in retaliation. Bruce reconnected with Alfred and his uncle, Philip Wayne, who had taken over the Wayne family company in his absence. Bruce quickly became the ‘billionaire playboy philanthropist’, spending his time surrounded by women, making club appearances and donating to various charities. Philip had one of his employees, Edward Nygma arrange a ‘welcome home’ party for Bruce where he hired the services of Silver St. Cloud. Nygma also hired the Red Hood Gang to bust up the party and kill Bruce, but they failed. Bruce Wayne then reclaimed his family company after the arrest of Edward Nygma and the stepping down of Bruce's uncle, Philip Wayne. After seizing his company back, Bruce began using his resources to establish a plan of attack to rid Gotham of its criminal element. Making use of his John "Matches" Malone identity he had assumed while with the League, Bruce began to infiltrate several gangs. On one particularly bad night, Bruce was beaten by many people he had attempted to save. Police arrived and shot a surrendering Bruce, taking him in a police car. Bruce broke free and caused the Police car to crash. Bruce escaped, a broken and bloody, he sat in Wayne Manor's parlor and asked his parent's portrait for guidance. A Bat crashed through his Window. Batman made his appearance and began to intimidate various crime lords and corrupt Police. Soon he realized he would need an ally in the most corrupt GCPD. Bruce turned to the only honest cop, the man who caught his parents killer, James Gordon. Gordon and the media began getting anonymous letters with tips about the operations of criminal enterprises signed by 'Insider'. But Bruce underestimated the influence that Vito Corleone and Sal Maroni had over them. So, Bruce returned to the persona he had begun to build during his time within the League. But first, he would need some help. Bruce brought Alfred in on his plans. Going full-blown theatrics, Bruce created a suit based on Bruce’s childhood fear of Bats, hoping to inspire that same fear in criminals. Alfred provided assistance from Wayne Manor, the age of vigilantes began as whispers of the ‘Batman’ began to make criminals fear the night. One of Batman's first major encounters was a battle with the Red Hood Gang at the ACE Chemical Lab where he pursued the Red Hood Himself(It is unknown if this was the true Red Hood or a failed Comedian forced by "One Bad Day" into taking the role) and the Hood fell into a vat of chemicals, permanently disfiguring him, turning his skin white and hair Green. With Lucius providing tech for Bruce, the so-called ‘Batman’ quickly became a name that criminals feared, while some just believed it to be a modern myth. That is, until he rescued reporter Vicki Vale from Tony Zucco, where she managed to get the first picture of Batman. With the help of Jim Gordon, Batman took down Vito Corleone and Sal Maroni, exposing corruption within City Hall and GCPD and leaving a giant power vacuum that would be filled with the likes of the Bertinellis and Tony Zucco. Jim and Batman became partners and trusted allies, taking on corruption and crime in Gotham side by side with Gotham's white knight District Attorney Harvey Dent. Batman inspired the vigilante movement, leading to the arrival of the likes of Superman, The Flash, Wonder Woman, Black Canary and Oliver Queen as the Green Arrow. He even began to inspire the youths of America. 1938: Claws of the Catwoman In 1938, Batman had first met Khefretari, a Coptic-African from the lost city of Menmon, one of surviving relics of Ancient Egypt in the world, when she had stolen several objects from the Gotham Museum of Natural Science and History. These were artifacts stolen from her city by a shady relic hunter named Finnigan Dent, Harvey Dent's father. Batman and a visiting Lord Greystoke returned with Khefretari to prevent Dent from looting her city. There had been undeniable attraction and the quick blossoming of romance between Batman and Khefretari but each had their own path to follow. When Batman had last seen Khefretari she was Regent of the city of Menmon and he had vowed never to marry. Yet remembering the relationship that existed between Jane and Tarzan had unconsciously influenced Bruce when he had started falling in love with Julie Madison.(Batman/Tarzan: Claws of the Catwoman) 1939: World's Finest In 1939, Superman and Batman met for the first time during the Metropolis World's Fair, where they thwarted the schemes of the Ultra Humanite. Batman also battled some supernatural adversaries such as the Mad Monk and Hugo Strange's Monster Men, which he had no qualms with killing. Taking his inspiration from the Zorro character Bruce kept the public Bruce Wayne a business savvy, flamboyant playboy. In carrying out this pretense, he fell in love with a young woman named Julie Madison and found himself engaged. Had Bruce Wayne not gotten seriously involved with a woman, it is possible that his driven dedication would have turned him into the obsessed vigilante he is portrayed in books and films of the present era. 1940: The Dynamic Duo In 1940, Batman first encountered the Joker, who killed Billionaire Henry Claridge with his first recorded use of Laughing gas. Joker then attempted to poison the reservoir but was prevented by Batman. The Joker later escaped. Batman tracked the theft of the Alien mineral Kryptonite by the Joker to Gotham. The Joker offered his services to Lex Luthor, wanting Billions of Dollars in exchange for killing Superman. The Heroes were able to work together to defeat Joker. Batman also gained the fun trust of Commissioner Gordon after saving the life of his newborn son. While Batman was investigating the activities of a protection racket run by a mysterious Boss Zucco, his investigation lead him to the Haley's Circus. He discovered that John and Mary Grayson, the star high wire act, had been murdered when their trapeze rigs had been tampered with. This was an example of how far Boss Zucco was willing to go to make his point. The circus owner caved into his demands after that. Dick Grayson overheard the conversation between the circus owner and the representative of Boss Zucco. Batman saw the young man hop onto the back of the car of the crooks carrying away the payoff. He followed discreetly. The men in the roadster made a couple of other stops and noticed their stowaway. They began to manhandle Dick Grayson and had finally decided to kill him when Batman interfered. Batman made the crooks flee the scene but lost them when he attended to the boy. Batman asked Grayson what he had planned to do. Grayson said was going to trail the crooks to Boss Zucco and tell the police where he was located. This boy whose parents had been killed by criminals struck a resonate chord with Batman. He also had an idea of the boy's skills having seen his performances. Bruce was slightly acquainted with him, Dick Grayson having aided Bruce Wayne against some thugs at the World's Fair. He explained to the Grayson that unfortunately, Boss Zucco was one of those criminals who left very little solid evidence that could be traced to directly to him. He was regarded as a pillar of the community so there had to overwhelming evidence to get the police to investigate claims against him. Grayson's efforts would only make him a target for Boss Zucco's organization. Batman agreed to train the boy to teach him the skills necessary to fight crime in general while he learned enough to gather evidence against Boss Zucco. Dick Grayson became more than a mere student, he became his partner and eventually his adopted son. Gotham’s Dynamic Duo was born with the first outing of Batman and Robin. Boss Zucco was eventually exposed and incriminated and died in the electric chair. Dick Grayson adopted the nom de guerre Robin. In accord with his circus tradition he chose a costume that was colorful and bright which made a perfect counterpoint to Batman's dark outfit. The colorful costume made Robin's opponents underestimate his abilities. Robin battled crooks and their henchmen with a cheery brashness that was in part because he was a child and in part of his heritage. Batman and Robin encountered The Catwoman:a shapely blond jewel thief infatuated with Batman. Selina Kyle was in fact Khefretari, a Coptic-African from the lost city of Menmon, one of surviving relics of Ancient Egypt in the world. A lot had happened in years between when Bruce Wayne and Khefretari had parted company. He had acquired a wife and a partner and she was no longer Regent of Memnon, her brother having returned from being educated abroad and having achieved suitable age to assume the duties of Pharaoh. He had charged her to retrieve all of the artifacts stolen from Memnon. Since for the most part secret lost cities from Ancient Egypt do not usually have foreign embassies or diplomatic relations, Khefretari was forced to become a thief for most of these artifacts were held for by museums, private collectors and universities. If she could barter for one she would but she was not above stealing to get the artifacts back. She adopted Selina Kyle, a name to better fit in with the western world but even so her ethnicity and skin color were still remained barriers. It was because she was African she was often denied access to the offices or boardrooms of the institutions that held the artifacts. She later learned to disguise herself using make-up to appear as a dark skinned Caucasian or Latin. It is because of her ethnicity that even while gathering together a "gang”, that is hiring professional thieves to partake in robberies, she would wear a full mask shaped like a cat's head and full gloves equipped with claws. She did often have pet cats which was not unusual given her Egyptian background. She also rescued big cats that were being abused when she heard about them, using funds to have them relocated to zoos or returned to their natural environments. As long as she stole objects that had belonged to Memnon, Batman looked the other way but when she stole objects to be used as barter to acquire other pieces he felt compelled to stop her. He underestimated her willingness to fight back against him and was caught in a net. While he was entangled she kissed him. A powerful and undeniable attraction still existed between them. Although nothing happened between Bruce and Selina, the rumors of a romance between Batman and The Catwoman did cause a strain on his marriage. The War Years: 1941-1942 Batman like many Heroes joined the War effort alongside Robin, Superman and Wonder Woman as a member of the Justice Society, which later along with other mystery men (now being called superheroes) groups combined briefly into the All-Star Squadron. Batman often organized military strategies and appeared in propaganda. For his own safety, he often kept Robin out of certain missions. Batman concentrated his attention on saboteurs or on home front war profiteers. A few times he was sent to as a freelance operative working for the Super Crime in Gotham did not disappear. Batman and Robin encountered the frightening Jonathan Crane, also known as The Scarecrow. He had developed a gas that would unleash a person's worst nightmares and used this to blackmail several prominent citizens. Jonathan Crane was a practicing Psychologist and a Professor of Psychology at Gotham University . He used his position to gain access to people's homes. Then there was the Penguin. Oswald Cobblepot was a failed ornithologist. He had been kicked out of college because he had run a fencing operation out of his dormitory room. Although Oswald affected an English accent he was in fact from, near the environs of Innsmouth. Oswald was left an orphan after his father had disappeared in the Antarctic circa 1923 and had turned to crime to make ends meet. He was a short roly-poly man with flat broad feet almost flipper like, his hands were also malformed, his fingers flat and spatulate having a slight webbing between them. Because of his waddling walk, his flipper like fingers and his high pitched croaking voice children had called him the Penguin. He turned the hated nickname into a named to be respected or at least feared in the criminal world. Oswald dressed as a man of substance wearing a tuxedo, top hat, cane or umbrella. Although mainly a fence, Oswald did plan and execute some very elaborate heists. He was known for not using deadly force unless absolutely necessary to achieve the objective. He however did not refrain from using deadly force against those who tried to double deal or short shrift him. 1942: The Liberty File Harvey Dent, Gotham City's handsome young District Attorney was disfigured when mobster Sal Maroni threw acid in his face during his trial, scarring half his face. Driven insane by his reflection, he renamed himself Two-Face and went on a crime spree, deciding with a flip of his lucky coin whether to break the law or perform acts of charity. Batman and Robin eventually captured him, and he was rehabilitated thanks to plastic surgery. In Egypt, 1942, Batman(reffered to in the army as "the Bat") had been ordered to work with two new partners, the Clock (a.k.a. Hourman) and the Owl (a.k.a. Doctor Mid-Nite), as a group codenamed the Unholy Three. Their mission was to find the Joker, who was working as a smuggler who had stolen information about an unidentified German secret weapon. They were in a race with the Germans, who were also looking for Joker to recover the plans. They succeeded and discovered the German weapon was an "Übermensch". The Owl, injured in the previous mission, was recovering in a hospital when he was killed by an enemy agent. "The Bat" and the Clock were sent to Switzerland to meet an agent who had information about the German Superman and to rendezvous with Terry Sloane, a former field agent and superhero codenamed Mister Terrific. Gotham Villian, the Scarecrow, now working as a German agent, pursued them and killed the agents' Swiss contact. In a struggle with Scarecrow, Sloane's fiancée was killed. Sloane resumed his Mister Terrific identity and helped the Bat and the Clock pursue and kill the Scarecrow. They found out that the Ubermensch, accompanied by Hitler and other Nazi leaders, had traveled to Egypt to spearhead a German military offensive. The Bat arrived in Egypt just as the attack was about to begin. He confronts the "Ubermensch", who is defeated when the Allies deployed their own super soldier: Superman. In 1943, Batman and Robin returned to Gotham to battle a Sabotage ring, acting as agents of the Government. They tracked down the Japanese leader of the Ring, Dr.Tito Daka, who was killed by his own crocodile filled trap door(1943 Batman Serial). The Dynamic Duo were introduced to Alfred Beagle, originally a chubby and somewhat incompetent detective, who would often accidentally catch criminals. As he began working with Batman to destroy the crime ring, he would begin to slim himself down, and serve the Waynes, sometimes being confused with Alfred Pennyworth. During the 1943-45 period while Batman was working with likes of Blackhawk, the Unknown Soldier and Sgt. Rock. Towards the end of the war, Batman and Robin worked with Captain America and Bucky Barnes against the Joker and the Nazi, The Red Skull. Robin and Bucky formed a life long friendship. Their mission was to prevent the Nazis from discovering the Atom Bomb and destroying major US Cities. the mission was a success but Captain America was frozen in ice and Bucky presumably killed. The Joker was seemingly killed in the Nuclear blast but in reality, he survived and was taken to a Russian Gulag(Batman/Captain America). The Post War Years:1945-1949 After the War, public perception turned against superheroes during the Thingmaker administration, which was the begining of the Red Scare. Batman was one of the few Heroes who remained active, acting as a Vigilante. Julie Madison's film career as Portia Storm was slowing down in the mid-forties it was this reason and the appearances of these costumed temptresses that caused her to put her film career on hold and become more of a homebody, playing the role of a socialite's wife. In 1947, For the next two years Batman and Robin fought a variety of menaces to Gotham and Metropolis. The friendship between Bruce Wayne and Clark had solidified as the two married couples found it easier to relate to one another because of their shared secrets. Dick Grayson was also considered a part of this extended family. Julie Madison confided in Lois that she was less than enthralled that Bruce had continued his extracurricular activities. Julie found her home life a bit stultifying. Julie had thought that their life together would have been more exciting, with more travel to exotic locales. Lois urged Julie to discuss these problems with Bruce but Julie believed it would be too distracting for Bruce and in his line of work distraction could have meant death. In 1948, with the war over, Batman was now fully fighting criminals in Gotham City. He had briefly worked with Hourman and Mister Terrific, but Sloane blamed him for his fiancée's death and said he couldn't work with him. Hourman also retired to his civilian identity of Rex Tyler and returned to running his company. Batman and the Hourman were re-activated as government agents when former KGB agent and Russian Superhero Stalnoivolk, is working for an unknown employer. He was killing superheroes and seeking a plan called the Trigger. The Bat and Hourman met up with Superman, who was placed in charge of the group.The group pursued Stalnoivolk. They fought and defeated the Villain. However, Hourman discovered that the Kryptonain criminal Zod had replaced Superman and a Battle ensued with Batman taking a serum to grant him Kryptonian powers, and defeating Zod. In 1949, Batman and Robin took down the criminal known as the Wizard(1949 Serial Batman and Robin). After helping Superman resume Lois Lane from the Joker and Lex Luthor, The Batman returned to solo crimefighting as Dick Grayson left for College, and eventually law school. With Dick out of the house, Julie Madison had hoped that Bruce and she would spend more time together. They did so at first. As if inspired by the birth of Lois Lane's child in late 1949, Julie Madison Wayne conceived. 1950's Bruce Wayne jr. was born in mid 1950. Although Julie was a devoted and loving mother she suffered from a severe case of post partum depression, which lead to larger problems in the marriage. She blamed Bruce for giving up her career as an actress. Julie felt stifled in her marriage. Julie was also quite jealous when Bruce became depressed at the news that Selina Kyle had voluntarily surrendered to the police. Because of her forthcoming confession and pleading of no contest to most of the charges arraigned against her, Selina Kyle was sentenced to fifteen years in prison. In 1951, Julie Madison feeling increasingly suffocated as a socialite wife and as a mother, began a career in modeling over Bruce Wayne's objections. After a year of this exposure, she once again began receiving film offers and she revived her career as Portia Storm. Despite her beauty and charm, Julie Madison was not a talented actress and most of her work was confined to b-movie roles. However she enjoyed her new freedom and filed for divorce from Bruce Wayne in 1952. Bruce retained primary custody of Bruce Jr. at the mother's request. Bruce and Alfred Pennyworth raised Bruce with some input from Julie; there was however a female presence in Wayne Manor provided by Dick Grayson's elderly great-aunt Harriet who had fallen on bad times. Bruce invited her to stay at Wayne Manor until she could get on her feet, fully expecting her to live out the rest of her life there. Attempting to take advantage of Bruce's emotional state upon the break up of his marriage, an international master criminal began a plan to recruit Batman into his organization, believing that his intellect, tenacity and physical prowess made him a prime candidate to perhaps even one day lead the organization. The international criminal was from the East, a man who was said to possess the secrets of immortality, a man of corruption and honor, a master manipulator whose plans always seem to be undone by the lesser intelligent. A man bent on world conquest but was willing to achieve his goal slowly and methodically. He was a man who thought nothing of using a combination of drugs and hypnosis to make his daughter fall madly in love with a man she had never met. This master villain was Ra's Al Ghul, The Lord of the Demons. Ras Al Ghul had begun manipulating events shortly after the separation of Julie Madison and Bruce Wayne. Bruce adventures as Batman began to take him farther from Gotham city, albeit reluctantly. He visited Spain, the American Mid-West and Southwest,South America and Asia. All while combatting Ra's Al Ghul and the League of Assassins.From 1953 to 1955 Ras Al Ghul tried to bring Batman into his organization, wishing him become his heir and aid in Ras Al Ghul plans rather than attempting to thwart them. Bruce began to drift towards his first love and perhaps his true love, Selina Kyle. He began to correspond with her during her prison stay. Selina told Bruce that the reason she had voluntarily surrendered to the police for her thefts was because she loved him. She knew that she would never be fully respected by Bruce Wayne unless she atoned for her crimes. Since she had finished retrieving the objects stolen from her homeland by the relic hunter Dent she needed to end her career. Even though at the time she had gone to prison it had seemed even less likely that she and Bruce would ever be together. When Selina Kyle was released from prison in 1955, Bruce Wayne was there to greet her. He offered her a job as Chief of Security at Wayne Inc, feeling that her skills at breaking into buildings could be used to keep others out. Working in close proximity kindled a long burning passion and in a few months, Bruce Wayne shocked the world by marrying the ex-jewel thief Selina Kyle. The union was deemed even more shocking because of her ethnicity, which she no longer made any attempt to hide. The marriage of Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle caused a bit of a rift between Dick Grayson and Bruce Wayne because in his eyes she was a convicted felon. Instead of returning to Wayne Manor, Dick Grayson stuck out on his own forming a law partnership with Horace Cranston, a relative of socialite Lamont Cranston.Still in 1955, Bruce married Selina Kyle. In 1956, Batman helped Sergeant Rock track down what appeared to be a sighting of Hitler in South America(actually one of the many Hitler clones being created In Brazil, one which became possessed by the Devil himself).Batman crossed paths with Batwoman, a former circus performer and Heiress who flirted with Batman, who did not returned her affection due to being married. Bruce Wayne continued to fight crime as a solo act during this tumultuous time, although he was training Bruce Wayne jr. to become the second Robin when he became old enough. Bruce sustained quite a few injuries from 1955 to 1961, although he had curtailed some but not all of his activities after his daughter Helena Wayne was born in 1957. In 1959, Batman first encountered Bat-Mite. A 5th dimensional imp that was a huge fan of his. That same year, a group of aliens would abduct Bat-Mite and another imp, Mxyzptlk, in order to save their homeworld. Bat-Mite would not be seen again. Batman also encountered Mr.Freeze, then know as Mr.Zero. This Vilains origins would not be discovered until the 1990's. He survived for decades by entering period of cryogenic sleep. 1960s In 1960, Batman began investigating the presence of the Centre and cults attributed to it approaching earth. Batman would join the Justice League in fighting off the Centre and other threats to the planet. Batman briefly joined the Justice League from 1960 to 1961. In 1961, Bruce Wayne decided to end his career as Batman. He made an effort to reconcile with Dick, which turned out to be much easier than he thought it would be. Marriage, fatherhood and the birth of an adoptive sister had changed Dick's mind about Bruce's marriage to Selina Kyle. Bruce informed Dick that he was going to hang up the cowl, he was just too old and beat up to function as a costumed vigilante anymore. He wanted Dick to become the next Batman Bruce Wayne moved into the public arena, he had, despite knowing of the man's flaws, helped get John F. Kennedy elected. He believed that the other guy was an even worse choice for the country. Because of his business acumen and his wide knowledge on a variety on subjects, Bruce Wayne was asked to participate in several committees on civil rights, education, technological progress and finance. He became a good friend of the young politician from Boston Dick became the second Batman in late 1961. Kathy Kane, still acting as Batwoman, was joined by her niece Bette Kane as Batgirl I, whom Richard Grayson reluctantly accepted as a sidekick. Bruce Wayne Jr. also joined the action as the second Robin in 1962. From the beginning, Bruce Wayne Jr, showed an attraction to Bette Kane. Batman II and Robin II fought several old foes such as the return of the Riddler and the Penguin. There were new villains as well, some like Egghead, King Tut, Shame and Bookworm did not last. Others used the moniker of former Villains but were new faces. While it was unknown at the time, the Joker had discovered a specialized Venom that caused insanity and one's hair to turn green, the skin to turn white and a smile like red blemish to appear over the mouth. Joker created this specialized "Joker Venom" when he deduced the new Batman was not the same as the older and wanted to continue to antagonize his old foe. He tested the first on a Spanish American man named Tony Rico. The resulting Joker was deemed a "Failure" as he, while a criminal mastermind, was a harmless prankster. There was also a new Catwoman, later discovered to be Soviet Journalist, Kitayna Ireyna Tatanya Kerenska Alisoff, and two other women. Another relatively new villain was Mr. Hyde also known as Blockbuster. In 1963, Captain America was found and thawed out. he would reunite with both Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson. When Kennedy was assassinated, Bruce Wayne attempted to get to Dallas to find the assassin. His investigation into the assassination was roadblocked at every turn. He became convinced that the all his years of going after the small time criminals had been a waste when there were much bigger and deadlier criminals still at large. A lone vigilante could not touch those crooks so ensconced in the web of power and prestige. Bruce Wayne resolved to find a way to go after those criminals who thought they were protected because of their position and rank in society. Bruce was going to fight crime in a different manner. He threw his hat in the ring and ran as an independent for Police Commissioner post. He withstood a smear campaign but realized two Batmen were needed and would devote himself to the Actions of the Justice League while Dick Grayson acted as Batman In Gotham. The role of Police Commissioner instead was taken by James Gordon once again in his second term. The first term being from 1937 to 1945. In 1964, Bruce Wayne Jr joined forces with Kid Flash(Wally West), Aqualad, Wonder Girl(Donna Troy), and "Speedy"(Who, unknown to the others at the time, was a clone of Roy Harper created by Lex Luthor in order to infiltrate the Justice League). Donna Troy was not present at the first meeting, but the others came together to battle the Villain Mister Twister. Bruce Wayne Jr also began going out on missions with Supergirl(Lara Kent) with the two growing closer as time went on. While his own father was a large inspiration for his superhero career, Bruce Wayne Jr was also a huge fan of The Gray Ghost ''Television Series. In 1966, Dick Grayson and Bruce Wayne Jr had many odd adventures, including stopping an International Crisis caused by Joker II, penguin, Riddler and Catwoman II. The Same Villains hijacked a Space Station and briefly turned Batman evil before he was restored. One of these adventures led to the accidental return of Two Face when an experimental machine intended to split good and evil, built by Hugo Strange and funded by Dent, hit Harvey, in a manner restoring Two Face, who now held similar features to Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde, often shifting between the two personas. He would once more be incarcerated. Defying her parents wishes that she become involved in the family's secret business and having discovered the family secret when she was quite young, Helena Wayne wanted to practice and train with her older brother. Bruce and Selina hoped by allowing her to train with the incipient Robin, that Helena's desire to become a costumed vigilante would be tempered by the extreme amount of hard work and study that they insisted upon. She was her parents' child however and excelled at both. They finally agreed that she could become the new Bat-Girl when she became twelve. In 1967, the teenage daughter of James Gordon Jr, Barbara Gordon, named after her late grandmother, was working as a Librarian. She was invited to a masquerade ball at Wayne Manor. When the Masquerade ball was robbed by the villain Killer Moth, Barbara, in a Batgirl costume, attacked and helped battle the Villain, forcing him to flee. Killer Moth joined forces with the arsonist Villain Firefly but both were defeated by Batman, Robin and the disguised Barbara. Inspired by Batman and Robin, Barbara took up the mantle of Batgirl II. The Dynamic Trio continued to fight crime. Sadly, just as Batman and Robin gained an ally, they would also lose one. Alfred Pennyworth passed away that year. Alfred Beagle took over the role of Butler to the Waynes. Bruce Wayne would begin to see Alfred Pennyworth as a ghost. In 1969, Bruce Wayne Jr, and Joel Kent became a Superhero team, dubbed the Super Sons. The original Joker was in Prison, at least it seemed. While investigating a case that seemed to point to Joker II, Bruce Wayne Jr was called to the Prison. The Joker was gone. Bruce Wayne Jr tracked him and discovered the Joker had purchased and rigged a building, spending most of his long absence establishing a complex trap to kill Batman. When Batman II entered the building, he found Joker II dead. His purpose fulfilled. The Original Joker had lured Batman II there and sued Joker II to trick Batman into letting his guard down. He subjected him to a trap door filled with razor blades laced with a hallucinogenic drug and then fell into a large pie. Two machine gun turrets emerged and opened fire. The Joker was arrested by arriving police, madly claiming he had killed Batman. Batman seemingly emerged holding Robin in his arms and proclaiming somberly "No....He killed Robin". From that moment on Bruce Wayne Jr acted as Batman III. Dick Grayson was buried in the original Robin costume. Grayson had only one living relative: Aunt Harriet, who was by now going senile and had begun confusing Bruce Wayne Jr for Dick Grayson and Dick Grayson for Bruce. Neither of the men had bothered attempting to correct her claims. '''1970s' In 1970, Batman first battled the mutated scientist known as Man-Bat. Helena Wayne became the newest Bat-Girl that same year. Her parents made her wait a full year past their original date as a punishment for attempting to engage in solo crimefighting. Bruce Jr. had gone to Harvard to get a degree in finance, although he found himself being involved in cases that took him all over the world. It fell on Bat-Girl, Batwoman(Barbara Gordon) and other costumed vigilantes took up the slack. In one celebrated case Batwoman and Bat-Girl defeated one of the Joker's nefarious schemes involving the circus which saw the death of the retired original Batwoman Kathy Kane, who was the Circus owner. Ra's Al Ghul also made some appearances during the career of the second Batman, although he continued to try and recruit Bruce Wayne. Bruce Wayne was asked by President Nixon to become the new Director of SHIELD. Nixon was impressed with Bruce's conviction rate and his tough stance on crime. Bruce Wayne accepted the assignment. This position also gave him a chance to work closely with his friend Steve Rogers again. It also allowed Bruce to help train and guide young talent. Mainly he took the position because this government post would allow him investigate and exact justice on those criminals that had been previously untouchable because of their power, prestige or ability to cover their tracks. Bruce Wayne acquired an ability of working behind the scenes and coordinating events so that justice would often come about in the most unusual ways. The Batfamily was not immune to the 1972 Thanos Snap, which caused Selina Wayne and Alfred Beagle to Disappear. In 1974, In the wake of the Watergate Scandal, Steve Rogers took a leave of absence as Captain America. It was Bruce who suggested that Joel Kent be tapped to fill in during Steve's absence. In 1975, Batman III was called to Arkham Asylum, where the Joker has been acting strangely. Surveillance tapes revealed that the Joker was being haunted by the ghost of Dick Grayson. With the help of Doctor Occult, Deadman, and the ghost of Alfred Pennyworth, Grayson's spirit was convinced not to murder the Joker and went into the light with Alfred. Bruce Wayne, in his Batman costume, visited the dying Joker, whose last request was to know the Batman's identity. Batman replied that, with all the pain that the Joker had caused, he deserved nothing, and left. Dick Grayson's spirit would return to replace Boston Brand as Deadman II. The Thanos Snap was undone in 1977. Between 1977 and 1979, the Batman family was struck with series of tragedies that were orchestrated by Talia Al Ghul, the daughter of Ra's al Ghul. Ra's Al Ghul had tired of attempting to recruit them and so decided to demonstrate his ability to inflict upon them wounds that would never heal. In mid-1977 an old henchman of Talia's, now a minor crime boss in Gotham contacted Selina Wayne. He had photographic proof that several years past during her criminal career, Selina had killed a police officer using her claws. He would give her the evidence if she would steal a particular piece of jewelry for him. He wanted The Green Dragon. If she did not cooperate the picture would end up in the hands of the newspapers and the police. He had sent her a copy of the photo and it looked genuine although she knew it to be a fake. Still the scandal could have hurt the family. Selina Wayne broke into the Asian Antiquities house where the Green Dragon was on display. She removed it from its case and climbed onto the roof where she met the criminal. She took the negatives and handed him the Green Dragon. Batman III arrived on the scene in time for him to see Selina Wayne running towards the edge of the roof. A man looked inside the bag and threw it down with a curse. He yanked out a gun and began firing at Selina. She was hit in the shoulder and leg just as she was reaching for her catapult line. The impact of the bullets threw her off balance and off of the room. Bruce hurried to where Selina lay dying in the street. She gasped out the story to Bruce as her breath faded. The crook had gotten away. Helena Wayne was currently attending college and was not patrolling as Bat-Girl as much as she had before. She however usually listened to emergency band broadcasts while doing her schoolwork. Hearing about the appearance of the Catwoman she decided to investigate. She arrived a few minutes just as Selina was about to die. When Helena returned to her home, she put away her Bat-Girl costume. She no longer felt like being the devil may care figure that Bat-Girl had been. She designed a new costume that was a blend of her parents and called herself The Huntress. Her first mission had been to track down and bring to justice to her mother's killer. The Huntress was not averse to causing those who resisted her arrests pain, especially when they were the type of criminals she considered insidious. Helena continued with her career as the Huntress through college. She also attended law school but did not have time to adventure too much during that period. She resumed her career as the Huntress after law school when she joined the firm of Nelson and Murdock as a junior partner. In 1979, Batman III and Supergirl II(Lara Kent) plan to marry. Bruce and Lara's wedding is disrupted by Joel Kent,who was exposed to Black Kryptonite and went insane. Joel killed Lara. This destroyed the friendship between Bruce Wayne Jr and Joel Kent. A 70-year-old Bruce Wayne, on the trail of Ra's al Ghul, was captured by agents of the criminal mastermind. Wayne entered a Lazarus Pit with Ra's al Ghul after Ra's discovered that, if two people entered the Pit, one would perish while the other would survive with permanent immortality and none of the accompanying madness. Wayne survived and discovered that Ra's was correct. He then began to take control of Ra's criminal Empire. Wayne began to turn al Ghul's criminal empire into a force for good, working so subtly that everyone assumed his actions were a front for a criminal scheme without realising that the 'front' had become the real organization. He then attempted to revive Dick Grayson in the Lazarus Pit and succeeded, with the adverse side effect of restoring Dick Grayson's youth, allowing him to become Robin again. As a Consequence, Dick Grayson could not use the Lazarus Pit again. 1980s In progress The Dark Knight Returns: 1980-1986 The 1980s proved to be the most Turbulent decade for the Bat family. It began hopeful. Damian Wayne went on to form a New teen Titans team after being among a group of heroes to receive summons from the Empath Raven, one of many Antichrists that went against their destinies, in this case the daughter of the demon Trigon. As a teenager, Damian Wayne changed his identity to Nightwing after the got older and pursued a relationship with the Heroine Starfire, that eventually resulted in a daughter: Darkstar, a heroine in her own right. Bruce Wayne Jr found a New Robin in the form of Jason Todd, a homeless kid. His time as Robin was sadly short. He was killed by the third Joker with the help of the League of Assassins and Ra's Al Ghul. This had a profound effect on Bruce Wayne Jr and he would retire only to be killed resuming his mission once more during the Crisis on Infinite Earths. Damian Wayne now resided in Titans Tower. This left Gotham defenseless, with only the old Bruce Wayne left to defend it. Wayne was sparked back into returning by the emergence of a Gang called the Mutants. He would find himself facing his old enemies of Harvey Dent and the original Joker, who snapped out of a coma he had been in since 1969. The Joker killed himself in order to frame Batman for his murder. with the outbreak of World War III in 1986, a Nuclear Winter resulted in Gotham becoming the safest city in America after Batman rallied everyone under this leadership. In embarrassment, The Government sent Superman after him. Batman's allies Green Arrow, and the new Robin Carrie Kelly helped defeat Superman but Bruce suffered a seemingly fatal heart attack. Secretly, with Superman's knowledge, Bruce faked his death, continuing to operate in secret. In 1989, a young boy named Tim Drake use this intelligence to deduce the identities of the Batmen. Bruce Wayne's identity had been revealed following the battle with Superman in 1986. From that Tim, deduced the identities of the other Batmen and Robins quite easily, matching them up with Bruce Wayne's children. Tim approached Damian Wayne and wanted him to talk to his father, noticing Batman was much more grim and needed someone to help him. Tim Drake unexpectedly became the Fifth Robin under Damian Wayne, who became Batman in 1989. Carrie Kelly gave up the role or Robin in order to train Tim Drake. Damian's fought a Joker imposter who poisoned various products with Smilex. This Joker met his death at Gotham Cathedral. Knightfall:1992-1996 Damian's next major battle was against of all things, exploding Penguins and a new Catwoman. He wa also joined by Tim Drake. Early in Damian and Tim's career they met the costumed hero Spoiler, a teenager named Stephanie Brown, who Tim felt an attraction towards. The Duo decided to take her under their wing, making her the Second Batgirl after Barbara Gordon had retired and succeed her father as Police Commissioner before being replaced by Ellen Yindel in 1986. This group fell apart in 1993 when Tim Drake was abducted by the Current Joker and his henchwoman Harley Quinn. The two experimented on Tim in an effort to turn him into another Joker. Tim was rescued but killed the Joker. This incident traumatized Tim Drake's Robin and he would retire. Stephanie Brown retired as Batgirl after an attempt to take down the Mafia backfired and she was captured and tortured by the Crime Lord Black Mask before being rescued. Stephanie Brown retired as Batgirl. This proved unfortunate as Gotham fell under attack by Bane and the League of Assassins. Which destroyed the bridges outside of Gotham and turned the City into a No Man's Land, quarantined by the Government. Bane utilized an experimental Super Soldier Serum and was an ally of Khan Noonien Singh during the Eugenics Wars. Damain Wayne would be crippled by Bane in battle but was rescued from death. In his absence, the vigilante Azrael attempted to replace Bruce, defeating Bane. He was not alone, the seemingly resurrected Jason Todd resurfaced and took the mantle of Red Hood, and finally Batman, proving far more brutal than Damian and killing Bane and Black Mask(the latter for what he had done to Stephanie Brown). Jason Todd became the new Batman while Damian Wayne, recovering from his back injury, used his heritage to take control of the League of Assassins, dismantling the organization from within. In 1996, Superman returned and reformed the Justice League. Bruce Wayne refused to join Superman and formed his own team to oppose him. To accommodate the large number of meta humans and criminals several prisons were created, including a portion of New York becoming a massive Prison, The Gulag for Supervillains captured by the Justice League, and the damaged Gotham into Arkham City. Jason Todd battled the Joker in Arkham City but it was revealed to be one of the villains to use the name Clayface. Simultaneously, Bruce Wayne was involved in a battle at the Gulag. Afterwards, Wayne Manor was transformed into a Hospital. The Original Bruce Wayne, having gained access to Ra's Al Ghul's Lazarus Pit, is now believed to have become immortal. Jason Todd, while lacking a Robin of his own, adopted a mute former child assassin named Cassandra Cain as the New Batgirl, though she was chance her name to Black Bat when she grew too old to be considered a girl. The Dark Knight: 2005-2012 Jason Todd had several prominent battle with Supervillains during this time including another more lethal Joker imposter. He would be forced to seemingly sacrifice himself driving a Nuclear Bomb out of the City Limits before it exploded, seemingly taking Todd with him, though secretly he survived as the Ship was on autopilot and he retired to Florence with a new Girlfriend. In Todd's absence, Damian Wayne returned to the role. The Batman: 2016-2019 Damian Wayne despite being much older, found himself confronted with a reborn Superman after he destroyed Metropolis in a reckless battle. He also briefly joined a new Justice League. Unfortunately, old age began to catch up with him and even an advanced Suit failed to make a difference. After a disastrous mission, Damian Wayne was convinced to retire. 'Batman Beyond: 2039-' An Elderly Damian Wayne encountered a teenager named Terry McGinnis, who stole the Bat Suit for a good cause. After defeating a Villain, Damian was convinced to pass the role of Batman onto Terry. Unknown to Damian at the time, McGinnis was actually his artificial son created under the orders of Amanda Waller, who became convinced the world needed a Batman. The two eventually came to terms with this. Legacy Batman I:Bruce Wayne(1937-1960,1986-1996)(retired, Returned)-23,10 years, 33 years total. Robin I: Richard "Dick" Grayson(1940-1949)(Became Batman)-9 years Batman II: Richard "Dick" Grayson(1960-1969)(Deceased)-9 years Robin II: Bruce Wayne Jr(1964-1969)(Became Batman)-5 years Batgirl I: Barbara Gordon(1966-1969)(Crippled, retired)-3 years Batman III: Bruce Wayne Jr(1969-1985)(Deceased)-16 years Robin III: Damian Wayne(1981-1984)(Became Nightwing)-3 years Robin IV: Jason Todd(1983-1985)(Deceased, later Resurrected)-2 years Nightwing: Damian Wayne(1984-1989)(Became Batman)-5 years Robin V: Carrie Kelly(1986-1989)(Willingly Stepped Down, changed alias)-3 years Batman IV: Damian Wayne(1989-1993,2016-2019)(Crippled, retired, returned)-4,3 years, 7 years total Robin VI: Tim Drake(1989-1993)(Retired)-4 years, Batgirl II: Stephanie Brown(1992-1993)(Retired)-2 years Batman V: Jason Todd(1993-2012)(Faked Death, Retired)-19 years Batgirl III: Cassandra Cain(1999-2004)(changed alias)-5 years Batman VI: Terry McGinnis(2039-)Category:Characters Category:Superheroes Category:Heroes